Dyson teases mysterious Project N223, could be a robot vacuum

Dyson has released a video teasing an unannounced secret project - suggesting the company has a robot vacuum in the works

Dyson, the company best known for pioneering the bagless vacuum cleaner, is teasing a secret project ahead of a 4th of September reveal, with a video hinting towards the possibility of a robot vacuum cleaner.

The video itself appears to have been shot from within the company's expansive research and development lab, from a device that has a very low profile, using at least one camera with a panoramic view. Dyson continues the tease in the video description, posted to the company's official YouTube channel. "16 years. 200 engineers. £28 million investment. The result? Tell us what you think it is."

Video of Dyson project N223: what new technology is ready for launch? - Official Dyson Video

All the clues suggest the company is preparing to launch something robotic, although quite what it is remains a mystery. If the new project is a robotic vacuum cleaner, it would join the likes of the iRobot Roomba, Samsung's Navibot and LG's Hom-Bot as an automated way of keeping your house clean. Company founder James Dyson experimented with robot vacuums in the past, but pulled the plug on the first attempt in 2001 right before it made it to market, as he was unhappy with its price and weight.

Dyson's latest innovation was the Cinetic cylinder design, which is the first of its kind to require absolutely no changing of filters throughout the lifespan of the vacuum cleaner. Having reduced the size of existing cylinders significantly for the Cinetic DC54 vacuum, it would seem likely the company will use some form of the technology for a robotic cleaner.

Of course it's possible that the project is something else entirely; the company makes a lot more than vacuum cleaners; it is equally famous for its Dyson Cool bladeless fan series, and has recently invested £5 million in a lab at London's Imperial College dedicated to "helping robots understand and adapt to the world around them".

We'll know exactly what the company has planned on the 4th of September, when the reveal is expected to take place. It's no small coincidence that it coincides with IFA in Berlin, one of Europe's largest technology trade shows and